Salvation in Isaiah 16

Last Lord’s Day we thought about the destruction and
distress of Moab, from Isaiah 15. Moab was a country whose
territory consisted of the eastern border of the Dead Sea.

The prophet Isaiah sees the Assyrians overpowering Moab and he
describes it. He records weeping, wailing, and howling amongst
the people of Moab because of the destruction inflicted upon
them.

In verse 5 the mood changes a little and we hear the lament
from the Prophet himself – he is overwhelmed – and he
almost howls –

5 My heart cries out for Moab!

An Israelite, feeling sorry for Moab the bitter enemy? Yes he
is moved and deeply touched by the severity of this prophecy that
he is required to bring.

We saw how God’s own heart was also moved with the
tragedy of idol worshipping Moab, and her destruction as
predicted at the hands of the Assyrians.

But as we turn tonight to Chapter 16 we have to realise that
between the chapters there is a gap of around 50 years.
Incredibly early in his ministry Isaiah had as a prophet been
given the revelation of Moab’s destruction.

If someone in our country spoke authoritatively about the
things that would happen to our country in the year 2053 how
would we respond? No doubt with a little cynicism for how can
anyone with true knowledge predict anything accurately that far
ahead.

But if somehow his words were recorded and remembered and then
in 2050 things began to look as if what he had said may actually
happen, then that would be a different matter. The nation’s
leaders would get out their record books or video archives (who
knows how data will be recorded in 2050!) and begin to take
notice.

Isaiah Chapter 16 outlines from the lips of the much older
Prophet the IMMINENCE of Moab’s demise – the details
had been given 50 years ago – now – he says –
it will come to pass in three years. The prophetic timescale was
narrowed down to 36 months time – all that had been said,
weeping and howling, distress etc will happen!

We have the advantage of historical hindsight – for it
indeed happened as Isaiah had predicted. Assyria swamped Moab and
other nations – it was terrible!

So from Chapter 16 let us notice

1. Moab’s desire directed to Jerusalem –
Moab’s Hope v 1 – 5.

Verse 1. This is a message from the Moabite advisors to their
rulers. It would appear that the storm clouds were gathering.
Moab were having to accept that the ascendancy of Assyria was
becoming a reality and that the Assyrian’s intentions were
not good for the Moabites. What options did they have? Fight? Not
a chance – they were hopelessly outnumbered. Seek an
alliance with the Ammonites in the north or the Edomites in the
south? Impossible – for both these countries were also
under threat. But they knew that they were in desperate trouble!
So the advisors said “You will need to pay for protection
from the only people who can help us – The people of Judah
with their King and capital at Jerusalem, called here Zion. So
send the tribute, the lamb, to the ruler of the land, to their
King. Actually it was not just one lamb but hundreds of thousands
of lambs. This was protection payment money. Not only was this a
deal to be struck with the King of Judah – but it was also
a deal offered by Judah to people to come and shelter under the
protection of Jehovah their God. It came with the protection
package. So the advisors want the rulers to send the lambs via
Sela (modern Petra) to Jerusalem. Sela was the capital of Edom,
not Moab. But the tribute had to be sent southwards through Edom,
skirting the southern coasts of the Dead Sea and then north
through the hills of Judea to get to Jerusalem. They could not go
north because the Assyrians already controlled the northern
territories.

In their confusion the women flitted between the rocky places
around the Arnon River in the north of the country not knowing
what to do. Verse 2 indicates a sense of lack of direction and
leadership. The verse reminds us of game birds being flushed out
of their nests and hiding places when the hunters come.

Verse 3 is Isaiah’s advice to Moab as to how to present
their plea for help from Judah to the King at Jerusalem. How
plaintive are the Moabites words “tell us what to do! (give
or take counsel.) ; please be fair to us in our need (execute
justice); protect us as refugees and hide us (make thy shadow as
the night); cover us please (hide the outcasts); don’t give
us up to the enemy, the Assyrians (betray not him that
wandereth.) So Moab’s envoys are to ask the King of
Jerusalem for protection, even though the Moabites had ever been
their sworn enemies! They were asking Judah to take quite a risk
– no wonder Judah needed some persuading – the large
tribute of sheep was the persuader!

Verse 4 is so up to date. Here we have asylum applications
from Moab to Zion! Isaiah the prophet has advised these Moabites
to plead with God’s people – what a turn around!
Isaiah tells them that the God of Judah, Jehovah, would show them
mercy if they went with the right attitude. In fact says Isaiah
– it is your only hope of life! And he expands this in
verse 5 – God has promised to judge in mercy all who will
come repenting of their sins and humbling themselves.

And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall
sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and
seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

So our first Gospel word comes here. Gentiles who had been
Zion’s sworn and bitter enemies are invited by the Lord God
to come and receive of the benefits of safety and salvation
amongst God’s people. That is what was offered to Moab.

And this my friends is the terms of the Gospel today. Sinners
who have made themselves enemies of God by wicked works; by
rebellion against His laws; by self seeking and neglecting their
souls with worship of false gods – the gods of materialism
and self worship – are offered mercy and grace from the
Lord God who knows how to show mercy and to receive sinners!
Salvation is of the Lord and of Him alone. You won’t find
any kind of salvation except through the sovereign Creator God
who has sent His only begotten son for sinners. Judah’s
God, the only wise God, rules all nations – including Moab,
whether they accept it or not. The throne established in
lovingkindness in this 5th verse is the throne of Jesus Christ
the Messiah, who was a descendant of the great king David. If the
Moabites heed the prophet’s advice then a remnant from Moab
will escape and have an opportunity to share in the Messianic
redemption to come under the terms God’s promises to King
David.

Similarly, if sinners heed the advice of the Prophet Jesus
Christ then a remnant from this world will have an opportunity to
share in the Messianic redemption that has come through the life
and death of the Lord Jesus Christ – great David’s
greater son.

If the Moabites accept – then safety. But if they reject
it, then total and complete destruction will come upon them.
Similarly for you my friend – seeking the Lord God and
safety through His Son the crucified saviour is your only hope.
You need to take the advice offered to you tonight –

Matthew 6 v 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 7 v 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: John 3:36 He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him.

God is ready to show mercy – as he was concerning these
Moabites – but they had to come humbly – they had to
come in repentance of their past hostility. So too must you
– humbly repenting and turning from your sins – and
applying to Zion, to Zion’s King the Lord Jesus Christ for
salvation. Are you ready to do that yet?

This then was Moab’s Hope – to direct their desire
to Jerusalem – mercy offered. Did Moab accept that advice
from the Prophet?

2. Moab’s Discarding of this Hope. V 6 – 12.

Verse 6 gives the reasons for Moab’s rejection of
God’s offer of mercy and grace.

>6 We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud:
even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his
lies shall not be so.

Jeremiah 48 v 42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a
people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.

Today nations and individuals have the same attitude towards
the Lord God. Pride in one’s own good works or natural
abilities get in the way of yielding to God and receiving
salvation from Him alone. Arrogance, the attitude of “I
know better than God; God is old fashioned and His Bible a fairy
story; and we scientifically oriented people have grown out of
the notion of God – God is for women children and men who
do not think.” What arrogance this is – Moabite
arrogance! Self and human wisdom are the order of the day –
“I did it my way. I can get to heaven on my terms –
God is not going to tell me what to do!” These are all
stumbling blocks that lead to self destruction. Is there anyone
here tonight who thinks this way? Are you angry with God? And for
that reason are you rejecting Him? Well, learn from what happened
to Moab!

Verse 7 the consequences of rejecting God is more howling and
weeping.

Rejecting God leads to unfruitfulness as verse 8 says.

And in verse 9 we find Isaiah the prophet weeping again. Why
does he weep? At the pointlessness of Moab who refuses mercy from
God. Instead of a joyous harvest all they get is Isaiah watering
their devastated vineyards with his tears.

Verse 10 – no gladness, no joy, no singing or shouting
– which were all features of the happy event of Middle
Eastern harvest celebrations. A once joyous countryside is now
silent. All because of pride, arrogance and rejection of God.

Proverbs 16 v 18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an
haughty spirit before a fall.

Verse 11 witnesses Isaiah’s emotional sadness once more
affecting his inward organs. How graphic – does your
abdomen ever sound like a harp? I have heard of a rumbling
stomach – but a harp?

And what then do we read of rejecting Moab doing next in verse
10?

Moab goes to his idol shrines to pray – to his false
gods to ask for help – but it will be to no avail. It was
Moab who worshipped a hideous god called Chemosh. They sacrificed
children and sometimes adults to him

Sinners convinced of their sins and the danger that they are
in, still cling to the vain hope that there is something that
they can do to get themselves out of their mess. Anything rather
than trust in the Creator God! Anything rather than humble
themselves to the only real and wise God. But sin when it has
finished brings forth death! What a foolish nation – they
had been offered a lifeline – but had discarded the only
hope that they had.

How many unconverted people do the same? They hear the Gospel
and the terms of redemption. They hear that God has provided a
saviour who will redeem sinners from their sins. They hear that
the work has all been done – it is finished. They hear how
this salvation was purchased by the cruel death of the Son of God
the Lord Jesus Christ. They hear how His precious blood can make
the foulest clean.

But what do they do? No – I will not change. No –
I will not apply for mercy. No – I will not repent of sins.
No – I will not believe in the only one who can help me for
all eternity! In this they discard the only hope that there is in
the world – and they will spend eternity regretting their
rejection of the Son of God. Are you in danger of doing this
tonight my friend?

3. Moab’s Desolation v 13 – 14.

Verse 14 is a key verse about . Isaiah has to say that in
three years Moab will be finished! To illustrate this period
Isaiah inserts the phrase “as the years of an
hireling.” Three years was the exact period of time that a
servant was bound to a Master by a contract. This indicates an
EXACT time. A servant doesn’t exceed his period of
contracted labour – he works to the last day and no more.
Similarly an employer will not allow him to leave a day earlier
then his contract states.

It was a prophetic device to emphasise the accuracy of
Isaiah’s prediction. From that day, when he uttered his
prophetic words, within 3 years Moab will be devastated with only
a tiny remnant left. Her glory would be gone. Her cities, her
wealth, her vineyards, her fields, crops and livestock, all
brought to shame and dishonour.

This indeed came to pass. After Judah was taken into captivity
by the Chaldeans nothing is recorded again of the Moabites in
either Biblical or secular records. Zephaniah the prophet said
this and he was right –

Zephaniah 2 v 9 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom,

Barren and uninhabited!

Such is the future for those who reject God’s offers of
mercy and whose pride and arrogance keep them from Gospel
blessings.

Right in the middle of this chapter was that precious verse
about the King and his throne – so we leave the chapter
with this thought.

The King who came in David’s line was one who came into
Jerusalem riding on an ass in the company of men and women, boys
and girls whom he loved. He had fed them, healed them, taught
them and even raised some from the dead. My friend it was love
that drove the King to leave His heavenly throne to be born a
man. It was love that enabled Him to experience death –
separation from His Father – so that we might not have to
die eternally. Just as the gates of Jerusalem were open to the
Moabites, if only they would come, today the gates of the
heavenly Jerusalem are open to receive those who will come humbly
to this King who rules in love.

The proud will meet the same fate as Moab.

May no one here be kept out of God’s heaven by that
which kept out Moab!